Beneath My Mask
by bluerose032494
Summary: I can't tell you that I love you, because you don't even know who I am."
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi! Well, it has truly been quite some time since I have opened my account. And I am so so so so so so SORRY that I had to delete my previous story. Due to all the school requirements I have been trying to comply, I found it hard to continue it.

I have an idea for a new story. And I sincerely hope that I will be able to finish this. I am making an outline for the story, so that I can keep good track of it. It's just that my studying calls for a lot of attention, and I am happy to say that my exams are over! So now, I have my break.

SasuSaku has been growing on me these past few days. And that gave me an idea. In my story, Sakura is already in ANBU. There may be certain scenes that come from the Original Manga and Anime, but I do not claim them as mine. This story is just something born out of my imagination and only serves for entertainment purposes only.

Anyways, thanks for your support. It's more than enough to me.

Since I am most definitely not that good with writing, I would sincerely appreciate reviews. They will make me a better writer.

Okay.. on with the first chapter !:D

**Chapter One**

"Shishou, what is this serum?"

After jotting down some observations on sheets of paper, Tsunade focused on her student's query. Sakura was apparently pointing to her latest concoction, a golden liquid swirling within a test tube.

"That's a permanent shape-shifting serum. It allows you to change your appearance completely."

Sakura was at loss for words, before she straightened up to ask more questions. Although, it seemed like she was speaking more to herself.

"How does it work?"

"It's rather simple actually." The Hokage propped her clipboard on one of the desks before continuing.

"You just have to imagine how you want to look like after you drink it."

This was followed by an immediate gasp issuing from the pink-haired kunoichi.

"What happens if you imagine yourself as a pig? Will you turn into a pig too?"

The laboratory was immediately filled with Tsunade's laughter. She found her student's remark rather amusing.

"Sadly, no," Tsunade hiccupped after a long bout of laughing, before resuming to her usual, serious self.

"This only works for humans."

Sakura nodded in understanding, before her watch began to tick. It was lunch time.

Tsunade couldn't help but think that for an ANBU, Sakura was unbelievably childlike. It would be hard to decipher her true potential due to her petite frame and honest eyes. But based on her observations, Sakura should never be underestimated. Her inhumane strength was truly unbelievable.

So, the Hokage heard the audible grumbling of the kunoichi's stomach, much to Sakura's embarrassment too!

"I guess that's enough for today!" Tsunade grinned at her now reddened student, whose eyes were inextricably focused on the serum.

Then, as if the remark interrupted her reverie, Sakura looked up.

She had to leave the laboratory as soon as possible.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

"What do you say, Kakashi?"

The silver-haired jounin was staring at the fresh piece of parchment in front of him, reading every single letter with thorough comprehension. It was hard to believe after all.

The Hokage herself was undoubtedly troubled, gazing out at the beautiful sunset. Pretty as it was, it most definitely did not suit her current mood. Trouble was at hand.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kakashi handed the parchment back to the Hokage, and resumed to his usual silence.

The anxiety was kicking in. It was hard to sit straight.

"I guess it's hard to believe that the eight-tailed beast has been captured. And the most shocking part is who managed to do it."

The Hokage agreed silently, and reread the parchment. With a sharp pang of pain in her chest, she realized one very troublesome fact.

Now that the eight-tailed beast was captured, there was only one more goal for the Akatsuki to comply. That was the capture of Naruto, the jinchuuriki of the nine-tailed fox.

Things were getting worse, and she could assure that.

"We have to protect Naruto."

There was a strong sense of determination in the jounin's voice, and that was a feat that the Hokage seldom witnessed. Kakashi must be very worried for his student.

The thought that Naruto was going to die was enough to make the Hokage break down. She had always loved the boy as her own, as he constantly reminded her of her deceased little brother, Nawaki.

"Do you think it is wise to inform Sakura, about this matter?"

Kakashi meditated on the proposition. Then, he finally gave a curt nod.

"However," the jounin spoke, "I'm not sure about whether we should tell Naruto. If we inform the council about this event, it is probable that they would keep him within Konoha's borders permanently."

"And that," he continued, "is something that would really bother Naruto."

Tsunade knew that Kakashi was right. Naruto would hate the fact that he was locked up because people were afraid that he'd get killed. He'd rather be out in the open, than jeopardize the lives of those who are dear to him.

Tsunade let out an exasperated huff.

It was just after lunch when one of the newly-recruited chuunins ran up to her saying that there was a very important parchment from Sunagakure addressed to her. The seal on the note was literally tight, allowing only the receiver to read it. Tsunade made a mental note to improve Konoha's mailing system. That way, their mails would no longer be easily intercepted or fabricated.

It was then, in her office, that she began to read.

True to her former intuitions, it was bad news.

The furious handwriting was enough to tell that the Kazekage, Gaara, was worried for Naruto's safety.

After digesting everything that was read, she called for Kakashi.

And that was how they ended up meeting at her office.

"Very well, then," Tsunade said, rolling back the letter and keeping it locked within her desk.

"Kakashi, I leave it to you to inform Sakura regarding this. Do it as discreetly as possible."

Another curt nod.

"After all, she is Naruto's teammate."

________________________________________________________________________________________

"Excellent, Naruto!"

As if on cue, Naruto's kage bunshin exploded into puffs of smoke.

Then, the foxy kid gave off his trademark grin, until he was smacked on the head by a stealthy kunoichi.

"OUCH!! SAKURA-CHAN!"

Birds flew off in every direction, probably frightened by the boisterous voice.

Sakura's cheery laughter filled the area followed by uncontrollable giggles. Kakashi thought deep within that he would give anything to see them happy like this.

However, Naruto was not pleased.

"What did you do that for, Sakura-Chan?!"

It took quite a lot of effort for Sakura to quiet herself, before she said, "It's called 'attack when unguarded' Naruto!"

Naruto couldn't help but laugh along.

"Okay then!"

The kunoichi and her teammate looked up to find Kakashi right beside them.

"Who's up for ramen? My treat!"

Naruto jumped up and down with glee, before running to Ichiraku's .

"See you there Kakashi-sensei! Sakura-chan!"

There was nothing but a trail of dust left behind.

What bothered Kakashi the most was the effect on Sakura when she would find out about the plots of Akatsuki on Naruto.

_I guess that I'll have to tell her later, or perhaps after the meal at Ichiraku. Now is not a good time._

"Sakura, let's go!"

"Hai, sensei!"

With that, they both sped towards the village.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

"Where are they?"

Naruto couldn't help but glance every now and then out the flaps of Ichiraku, looking for his comrades. He just hoped that Kakashi didn't trick him again. He had already finished 8 bowls!

And then, just when he least expected it, he turned back and saw himself seated between Sakura and his sensei. Naruto was sure that the seats they were on were previously unoccupied.

After placing their orders, Kakashi noticed the large pile of bowls in front of Naruto. With a quick head count, he deduced that they were eight in all. Naruto was having his ninth bowl.

"Eh, NARUTO."

With some noodles hanging from his mouth, Naruto looked at his sensei. In a matter of moments, he slurped them up.

"You plan on making me spend all my money!?"

As if Naruto was embarrassed, he gave his cheeky grin. Kakashi knew better. Naruto had no sense of guilt when it came to making him spend.

At least, Sakura was only having one bowl.

And so was he.

Kakashi could tell that Sakura was starting to get annoyed with all the noise Naruto was making. All the slurping and chewing did not ease her appetite.

It may have been too soon, but a few minutes later, Kakashi and Sakura had steaming bowls of ramen in front of them.

"Itadakimasu!"

Then everyone dug in.

It was truly one of the happiest moments of Sakura's life.

And undoubtedly, it was Kakashi's and Naruto's too.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Just a matter of interest, but who do you think managed to capture the eight-tailed beast in my story? If you know, do tell! I can't wait to hear your guesses.

You'll find out if your guesses are right in the next chapter.

And do forgive me for some typing errors, grammatical errors and spelling errors!

:D

Review please. It'll make me better as a writer.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:Hello once again! I'm back with another chapter!

Thanks to Twisted Musalih for the support ! And as for the guess… well… you'll have to read to find out. 

I hope you guys will like this chapter. It took me a lot of effort for Gaara's letter. It's hard to put yourself in his feet you know. Anyways, I hope I didn't make him sound out-of-character.

Enough with my rambles and on with the story!

**Chapter Two**

Everyone was finally done. Stomachs were filled and the mood was light. And yet, there was this nagging feeling within Kakashi, making him remember that he still had something important to do.

He turned to the right and saw Sakura, the pink-haired kunoichi, playfully nudging Naruto on the ribs. Naruto, as usual, was faking his pain.

Grinning although no one would notice it, Kakashi stared at the remnants of his meal. That was when he realized something.

Akatsuki was not the only potential enemy of Konoha.

And with a flash, his hidden smile disappeared.

"Kakashi-senpai! Kakashi-senpai!"

Kakashi was snapped out of his reverie by the shrill tone of one of the chuunins he frequently saw near the Hokage's Tower. The chuunin's face was sweaty, meaning that he had rushed from such a far place to inform him of something.

"Yes?" Kakashi said to the chuunin so as to show that he was all ears.

"Tsunade-sama said that she wants you… and your team… in her office…"

With a true sense of urgency, he added, "NOW."

Despite the gradual panting of the poor boy, Kakashi wasted no time at all. With a look designated to his pupils, they got up and ran out of Ichiraku's flaps.

You know what they say.

If you can't cross the road, climb the roofs.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

It just took them a matter of seconds to reach the tower and stand right in front of the doorstep of the Hokage's office.

Everyone was assembled and ready, although it was quite noticeable that they did not know why they were called for.

At least, that was what Naruto and Sakura thought.

Kakashi was an entire different thing.

After a few soft knocks on the thick wooden door, a voice rang out from the office, beckoning them in.

Tsunade was at her usual position behind the desk. Sakura couldn't help but notice the pile of scrolls on it.

Before Tsunade said anything, she handed Naruto a scroll.

Naruto, of course, did not know what to do.

"Eh?" He asked himself.

"Open it." The Hokage beckoned the boy.

Then, after a little shuffling of paper, Naruto's eyes widened in reaction.

"It's from Gaara." Tsunade smiled.

Well, if Kakashi smiled, it wouldn't really make a difference. He just hoped that the letter was not the one he dreaded. Then, he realized that Tsunade would most definitely not be foolish enough to do that. According to Naruto's cheerful remarks, the letter was probably something of pleasantries, asking Naruto how he was doing.

Kakashi didn't know that the Kazekage had enough free time to write letters.

But then again, Naruto and Gaara were good friends.

When Kakashi glanced at the parchment, he noticed that the letter was rather brief.

_Naruto,_

_My warmest greetings to you._

_I hope that everything is satisfactory in your village, and that your health is in top-shape condition. If by chance you shall need our aid in the name of our friendship, I shall be more than wiling to extend Suna's arms to Konoha. _

_Hope all is well._

_Gaara_

Inwardly, Kakashi smirked at the Kazekage's abundance of pleasantries. The poor boy must be storing them in his arsenal for the sake of the Elders. Smooth talk always worked with them.

Naruto, however, must have been very happy at the thought that his Kazekage friend took a little time to send him something.

"Okay then! Now it's time to designate missions."

Team 7's members immediately stopped what they were doing upon hearing the Hokage's voice.

"For once, Naruto will be doing a solo."

This caught everyone by surprise.

"Naruto, I want you to accompany Iruka-sensei on his fieldtrip with the academy students. Your job is to offer protection."

Oh no. Naruto wouldn't like this.

"TSUNADE-BAA-CHAN, GIVE ME AN A-RANK MISSION! NOT A C-RANK!" Tsunade sighed. She knew it would be hard to persuade Naruto to give in.

Kakashi and Sakura were quietly ignoring them. They were used to such outbursts from Naruto that they no longer took them by surprise.

The next thing they knew, Naruto was beside Tsunade, nagging her and begging her to change his assignment.

Kakashi admired the Hokage's patience. It was unbelievably long today.

When Naruto figured his nagging wouldn't work, he went back to his place.

"Naruto," Tsunade was greeted by a pouty face.

"I want you to take this scroll and prepare all things necessary. You may leave now."

The poor foxy boy lost his strength to argue, so he headed straight for the door.

The timing was perfect. Tsunade gave an exasperated sigh.

Kakashi noticed with a hint of relief that Naruto's chakra signature was already far away. They could speak freely now.

"Kakashi," Tsunade asked.

"Did you inform Sakura already?"

The silver-haired jounin shook his head. Unlike Naruto, Sakura waited patiently for the Hokage to continue.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

It was really sweet of Kakashi to ask her if she needed him to bring her home. Modest as she was, she respectfully denied his offer.

If Sakura could define her present feelings, she would say that they were mixed up. First of all, she was worried, and sad at the same time.

The streets of Konoha were no longer extremely lively, given that the sun had already set. People were making their way home, exchanging farewells and other pleasantries. All Sakura needed was a little alone time.

Then, when she least expected it, she heard a familiar male voice call her.

Sai.

"Billboard-Brow, wanna have some barbeque?"

On any other day, Sakura would probably pound him into a pulp for calling her that way. The fact that she didn't even care was enough to prove that she really wasn't in a good mood.

Unknowingly, she headed straight towards him and even took a seat without being offered one.

_The book says that when a person is silent, _Sai thought, _that person is in deep thought._

Wordlessly, Sai offered her some barbeque and tried to gauge her reaction. Sakura didn't even deny what he gave her.

She bit through the meat and stared at the wall wordlessly. Being miraculously perceptive, Sai decided to shut his mouth. He believed Sakura needed her space.

And then, just when he thought it was too soon, she asked him, "Sai, are you willing to do anything for a friend?"

The question took him off guard, but his poker face betrayed nothing.

He responded, levelly, "As long as it doesn't kill me, then yes."

Sakura couldn't help but smile. Sometimes, Sai was such a funny person. In fact, their bonding was quite attuned that even with an expressionless face, she knew that Sai was joking. The pale boy actually knew how to care. But he just did not know how to express it.

With a pleasant smile, Sakura bid farewell. All the pale boy could do was look at her leave, and silently continue munching on his food.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

It took a lot of courage for Sakura to keep still and control her sobs. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she gazed at her picture with her teammates. Beneath the mask, she could say Kakashi was smiling. Sasuke was stoic and impassive, as usual. But what caught her eye was the orange-clad boy beside her, obviously annoyed at the Uchiha genius.

The Naruto she knew back then was carefree and very gutsy. Although, she could really say that the same applied to him know. It's just that Naruto had grown to be a very caring, young man, promising to always be there for her.

Could she bear losing him?

She knew she couldn't. Everyone in Team Seven was far too important to her. She loved them all dearly. And she'd do anything to make things right.

With one last sob, she closed her eyes.

"_Sakura, how have things been lately?"_

_The question was unbelievably direct, yet uncalled for. Sakura responded with the usual words that signified her state of wellness. But the Hokage, however, was not fine._

_Now that the Hokage's face was illuminated by the setting sun's light, she saw the dark circles adorning the lower hemisphere of her eyes._

_Something was wrong._

_Even her sensei was no longer paying attention to their conversation. If she knew better, she would say that Kakashi sensei was already aware of what they were talking about._

_And then, that was when it happened._

"_I received another letter from Gaara. I'd prefer if you'd read it. That way, it might be a little easier on our part." Tsunade handed the once-tightly sealed letter to the pink-haried kunoichi._

_With a little hint of uncertainty, Sakura began to read._

_**To:Tsunade-sama, Hokage of Konohagakure**_

_**From:Gaara, Kazekage of Sunagakure**_

_**Tsunade-sama,**_

_**A fine day to you.**_

_**Upon receiving some news that have deeply troubled me, I have decided to inform you regarding the possible dangers the Ninja World is bound to face. Now that the Akatsuki has finally succeeded with the capture of the eight-tailed beast, I have this gut-wrenching feeling that Naruto is to be protected at all costs. Seeing that their aim is to capture all bijuu, I am willing to extend all possible help from Sunagakure to aid your village against the external forces of the enemy.**_

_**I was hoping that this wasn't true, but there is something I believe you must know. The man who managed to grab hold of the eight-tailed beast is no other than one of your former shinobi.**_

_Sakura held her breath for reasons she did not know._

_**Uchiha Sasuke.**_

_Sakura lost the will to read._

_She dropped the parchment, and with all her willpower, tried not to cry._

Sakura's eyes immediately opened after the brief recall of a painful memory. Her viridian eyes were glassy with all the tears about to flow out. Then, with a sense of determination, she wiped her tears dry.

She opened her cabinet and saw her ANBU uniform all-set and ready to use. Grabbing it, along with her feline mask, she headed straight to the bathroom and changed her clothes. Few moments later, she came out, fully equipped with her gears.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The Hokage tower was extremely silent. Everyone was probably asleep.

Then with all the stealth she could muster, she made her way to the Konoha Laboratory. There were probably some medics working on late-shifts, but Sakura had to do something extremely crucial.

Then, she found herself staring at the room where she and her teacher, Tsunade, talked about the golden liquid serum. And there it was, bubbling and frothy on the clean desk.

Silently, Sakura climbed through the nearby window. Immediately scanning for all possible traps and set-ups, she scanned her environment. To her surprise, none were active.

Sakura made a mental note to talk with Tsunade about the lack of security in the lab. It was too risky. Although Sakura knew that she would probably never have the time to do so.

With extremely quick movements and deliberate caution, she stocked up some of the liquid in one of her tightly-sealed flasks. Since it would be totally suspicious to bring the entire stock, she had no choice but to bring only the amount she deemed adequate and necessary.

Satisfied, she went out the window and made her way to the Forest.

It was time to say goodbye.

With tears beneath her mask, she leapt from tree to tree in the dead of night.

No one noticed her escape.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Yay! Another chapter finally done. I hope you liked it.

Thanks for the support by the way.

Keep the reviews coming! :D You guys make me smile..


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